How Thick Should Concrete Patio Slab Be
So, youre planning to pour a new concrete patio to expand your backyard landscape and get a little more room to grill. Before you start, you need to know the right thickness for the patio. If you get it wrong, youll either spend far too much time and money on a thick patio or waste your money on a crumbling patio that doesnt meet code! So, how thick should a concrete patio be?
Most concrete patios, and other concrete slabs, are 4 inches thick. Building codes across the country usually require a thickness of 3.5 inches and compressive strength of 3,000 PSI. However, many things determine whether a concrete patio should be thicker, or incorporate rebar/reinforcement mesh.
In this article, youll learn how thick a concrete patio should be, the factors and building codes that determine the right slab thickness, and the basic steps of pouring your own concrete patio.
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Float The Surface Again
After cutting the control joints, and when any water sheen has left the surface, run a wood or magnesium hand float over the surface to provide a final smoothing. Raise the leading edge of the float slightly as you work to avoid making likes on the surface of the concrete.
For improved traction, pull a stiff-bristle broom across the surface. Draw the broom in either straight or wavy lines. If you dont like the pattern or if it is too coarse, trowel, wit, and broom again.
The longer the concrete dries, the finer the broomed surface. Make another pass along the perimeter with the edger.
Cost To Replace Concrete Patio
If you already have a concrete patio in place, dont forget to include the price to remove concrete in your estimate. This will add about $550 to $1,575 to your overall budget. The size of the slab you need to remove and the associated disposal fees will determine where in this range your project will fall.
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Not Having The Right Amount Of Concrete
Another mistake homeowners make when pouring a concrete patio is underestimating how thick the slab needs to be. To make sure safety is maintained, a minimum thickness of any concrete patio is at least 4 inches. However, if it will bear heavy furniture or features, 6- to 8-inch thickness may be required. This is in addition to a 2- to 3-inch base of something like gravel, sand, or limestone.
In the end, you only get one pour. Err on the side of caution and order slightly more than enough. If you have extra bags, you can always return them.
Best Flagstone Patio Designs
1. construction method there are two methods of laying flagstones for pathways, walkways or patios. the first one is the dry laying technique, otherwise known as the dry construction method, which is characterized by simply laying flagstone pieces in a bed of sand and gravel without the use of mortar and concrete. this process is diy
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How To Install Pavers Over A Concrete Patio Without Mortar
I have a small poured concrete patio, and that Id like to cover with brick pavers. Can I do this without using mortar?
According to several paver manufacturers, paving blocks can be installed on top of concrete without mortar if you first lay down a 1/2 to 1 bed of coarse sand. The process is nearly identical to laying a paver patio over ground.
However, this type of installation should be done with caution, since drainage, settling, and cracking can be a problem. Keep these tips in mind when laying pavers over a concrete patio:
Prepare The Underneath Of Paving Slabs With A Sub
You do need to put something under paving slabs. Paving slabs should not be laid directly on to soft ground or grass. Whats crucial to patio laying success is a sub-base to provide the support paving slabs require.
You’ll need a sub-base, which is the main load-bearing layer of your patio. The best sub-base for a patio is hardcore laid to the correct depth, along with a binding layer of sand. The pavers should then be laid on mortar made using sand and cement.
To do this, fill the bottom of your patio area with the sub-base and rake to an even depth of 50mm, then compact you can do this by just walking over it , ensuring that you cover the entire area twice.
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What Determines Whether Or Not You Reinforce Concrete
There are pours that will require reinforcement in concrete, but many situations are left up to your judgment. If you decide youd like the added strength and expense, good if not, no worries. Here are some situations where reinforcing the concrete slab is either required or recommended:
Thick Pours
If the concrete slab thickness is greater than 5 inches, it is a good idea to use rebar or at least wire reinforcement mesh. It is required in some building codes. Before pouring a slab thicker than five inches, consult your state and local building codes!
Structural Pours
If the concrete slab is supporting the weight of a hot tub or building, wire mesh and rebar can be required by local building codes.
Concrete Beams
Beams and columns made from concrete will usually require rebar to function properly and safely.
Slab on Slope
When pouring on a slope, in addition to pouring thicker on the lower part of the slope, it is a good idea to use wire mesh to add tensile strength to the slab. This will prevent cracking due to uneven weight placement and shifting soil.
Slope The Layout Strings
Level and slope the strings based on the position of the patio: The patio surface should be level from side to side and should slope down and away from the house from end to end at a rate of about 2 inches per 10 linear feet. For example, if the patio is 10 feet long, it will be 2 inches higher at the house end than at the opposite end. This ensures that surface water drains away from the house .
To level and slope the strings, place a line level on each layout string and adjust one end of the string up or down, as needed, so the line is perfectly level, then tie off the string. Keep in mind that all of the strings should be at the same height. Then, readjust the two strings running down the sides of the patio to set the correct slope. For a 10-foot-long patio, lower the strings 2 inches on the stakes at the lower end of the patio. Finally, adjust the perpendicular string on the lower end of the patio so it is even with ends of the sloped strings.
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You Can Build A Diy Concrete Patio Step By Step
It’s easy to pour and build a backyard patio made of concrete in this How To article. On a small scale, concrete is fairly easy to work with, but installing an entire patio can be a challenge. It is possible to build an attractive concrete patio yourself, but careful planning and preparation is necessary. Be sure to place all the concrete at once a big patio can be broken down into smaller manageable sections using 2×4’s.
Once concrete is in place, you’re stuck with it forever replacement is costly and difficult. Planning is essential for a perfect DIY conrete patio.
Build and install forms, making sure they’re level and properly graded for drainage. To prevent rain puddles from forming, design a 2% slope . Place and level a 4″-6″ bed of gravel you need a gravel base in areas of poor drainage or freezing temperatures. Be sure to compact the gravel base and rent a compacting machine if necessary.
Check gravel thickness with a homemade template that extends down from the tops of the forms 4″ of the finished patio when it just touches the top of the gravel, the base is thick enough. A taller slab will be stronger- we recommend 4″ thick. Let the gravel extend under the edges of the forms.
If the patio will abut an existing concrete patio or slab, install isolation-joint strips. Attach the strips flush with the top of an existing slab using hardened concrete nails or construction adhesive.
Concrete Patio Cost Per Square Foot
While the material cost is low, a concrete patio can cost up to $28 price per square foot depending on the finish you choose.
- Concrete slab with no design: $3-$6 per square foot.
- Simple coloring or stamping: $7-$15 per square foot.
- Custom design with multiple colors: $12-$28 per square foot.
Some homeowners choose to outline their concrete in brick or stone. This carries an additional cost.
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How To Flagstone Patio Diy: 5 Things Homeowners Need To Know
Flagstone patios make a unique design statement in your outdoor living space. Because theyre 100% natural stone , they offer one of a kind color combinations and shapes. If youre thinking of using them for a patio space, you will need to build some flexibility into your patterns.
Their uniqueness as a material is wonderful from a design aspect but does present a few challenges when it comes to working with them on a DIY project. Features like their distinct colors and shapes, and cost need to be taken into consideration before adding them to any patio project.
Here are some things homeowners need to know about using flagstone pavers to build patios, and some suggestions to make working with these beautiful stones easier.
Can You Pour Concrete Directly On Dirt
It is possible to pour concrete directly on dirt, but not always a good idea. When you pour on dirt, you have a lot more work to do in prepping the dirt and compacting it to the point that it will support the patio and dry evenly. Furthermore, you are more or less at the mercy of the soil in regards to cracking and soil erosion. If anything happens beneath the patio, there is not enough support to prevent cracks or other damage.
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How To Lay A Patio Next To A Building
If you’re laying a patio next to your house, you will need to create what’s known as a fall meaning that your patio will need to be slightly sloping to allow water to drain away from your house and not collect by walls.
This is done by inserting wooden pegs in a grid where you sub base will go, ensuring that the pegs go in between 12 and 16mm deeper for every metre away from the house. Pre-mark the pegs with a marker to make sure your measurements are correct.
Then, at the sub base filling stage, make sure the aggregate just covers the tops of the pegs.
- How to lay decking for another spot in your backyard.
How To Install Concrete Pavers
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Concrete pavers can be a beautiful addition to your landscape. They are incredibly strong and durable, making them the ideal solution for your driveway, walkway, patio, steps, or decorative elements around your home. Laying concrete pavers requires you to follow specific steps but before you begin, consider drawing out your design plan or using a free software do so. This will create a visual blueprint for you to follow.
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Tips For Building A Concrete Patio
Buying concrete in dry, premixed bags makes sense for relatively small patio slabs. To get an idea of how many bags you would need, a 50-square-foot slab at 4 inches thick needs about 28 80-pound bags or 38 60-pound bags. You can buy bagged concrete a local home center or lumberyard, and you can rent a concrete mixer at any large rental outlet.
For large slabs, consider ordering ready-mix concrete delivered by a concrete truck. Ready-mix is more expensive than bagged concrete, but it’s far more convenient, and you don’t have the labor of mixing the concrete or the concern of getting the mix just right. Discuss your plans with local concrete companies to compare costs and to make sure your site is suitable for ready-mix delivery.
How To Pour A Concrete That Looks Like Flagstone
Concrete made to look like flagstone or have other colors and textures besides a standard gray is called decorative concrete. Decorative concrete is created with large concrete stamps, texture mats and concrete stains to achieve desired shapes, textures and colors.
Using decorative concrete as a lawn edging is another option and a bit more budget friendly than the cost to install stone lawn edging or hiring a stone mason to build a retaining wall around flower beds.
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Other Factors That Affect Cost
The size of your patio wont be the only cost factor. Some patios are more complex than others, leading to various costs. Your patio may have an intricate stained finish, curves, or additional reinforcements to enhance its strength.
If youre planning a plain concrete slab patio with no bells and whistles, expect to pay much less than $16 per square foot.
Other factors that affect cost include:
- Thickness: The thicker your concrete slab, the higher your bill.
- Shape: Rectangular patios are the easiest to install. Patios with custom shapes are more challenging to install, leading to higher labor costs.
- Reinforcements: A patio with reinforced concrete will have enhanced durability but will drive up costs.
- Type of Finish: Want to give your concrete an added splash of color, a special texture, or an elaborate design? Decorative concrete will increase the bill.
- Grade of Concrete: High-quality concrete mixes will cost more than lower-quality concrete mixes.
- Location: Costs will rise if your patio site is hard to reach or its soil conditions are poor.
- Concrete Removal: Need to remove an existing patio before you install the new one? Concrete removal will be an additional cost.
Why Is Gravel The Best Choice For Your Your Flagstone Patios Foundation
Cement will crack. Especially grade level cement. Especially in a climate with winters like ours in Pennsylvania. A worse way to go about it would be to lay the flagstone upon a bed of gravel and then cement the joints between stones. Horrible idea. The gravel base is flexible and will move ever so slightly during freeze-thaw. Well, if the base was done poorly the movement might be more then slight, but lets assume the base was done well. A gravel base will definitely move a bitlooking at any of my patios, youd never know that, but the movement does happen. Cement is rigidif you put a rigid top on a flexible base then systemic cracking is inevitable.
Cement based mortar is a fine joint filling material if the flagstone happens to rest upon a concrete foundation. But why on earth would you want to have a concrete foundation anyway? The concrete itself will crack, eventually. In a northern climate it will likely crack within ten yearsand the chances of it cracking within the next three years are pretty high too. Environmental impact of concrete production is no small issue either. Anyway, I personally prefer dry stone work. More harmonious, warmer, just better. The feeling you get from a well done dry laid flagstone patio, in my humble opinion, is just better than a flagstone patio set in cement.
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Do Concrete Patios Need Rebar
Rebar is a steel bar that is used in concrete construction for reinforcement purposes. Also known as reinforcing steel, rebar is composed of steel wires used as a tension device to strengthen and aid concrete under tension. It provides structural strength to projects and helps control where and the extent of the concrete cracks
Even though its possible to build a concrete patio without rebar, its not recommended. All concrete is subject to cracks, but rebar holds all the cracks together and keeps the slab level and even. Without rebar, the cracks would become quite wide and the concrete would become uneven. This would cause the concrete to be replaced much sooner.
How To Plan And Design A Flagstone Patio And Walkway
with the latter, flagstones can be laid directly in soil or a bed of sand. thinner slabs should be laid in wet mortar or concrete to prevent cracking when stepped on. the spaces between irregularly shaped flagstone can be filled with pea gravel or ground cover plants like dymondia margaretae, creeping thyme, and dwarf mondo grass.
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Can I Extend A Concrete Patio
Yes. You can absolutely extend an existing concrete patio. During your set up process, you will need to use a hammer drill with a concrete bit and drill dowel holes in the existing patio slab. Once the dowel holes have been drilled, install rebar into these dowel holes with rebar ties and secure to rebar grid in the new patio extension area before pouring the concrete.
Add A Gravel Base And Reinforcement
It is important to add a gravel base such that the concrete is not in direct contact with the ground.
The layer of gravel should be 2-4 inches. However, a thicker layer is allowed when you are on a tight budget and have to keep the concrete patio cost to the lowest possible minimum.
Instead of compactible gravel, you can also use sand or crushed stones. Compress the layer of gravel or crushed rocks using a handmade compactor with a broad base.
The idea here is not to drive the gravel into the ground. Rather, compacting is meant to level the stones out and form a reasonably level surface on which the reinforcing steel and concrete will be poured.
Talking of reinforcing steel, its important to strengthen the concrete slab with steel to reduce the chances of cracking.
Arrange the steel rods at equal distances from each other along the entire length of the patio. Do the same across the width to form sizable steel square boxes.
To keep the steel rods from shifting and ruining the square arrangement, use short pieces of binding wire to hold them together at the major joints across the patio space.
Note that plastic sheeting is important for this step if the patio site is prone to excessive flow of water from underground towards the surface. The sheet helps keep ants off as well.
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